Rocket
by ArashiNekoi
Summary: Everyone thinks they know what Team Rocket is all about, right? Well, here's a glimps of what it's really like, through the eyes of a REAL Rocket. (PG for some swearing. Will probably rate higher later on. Please R&R, this is my first!)


Logging on...  
  
Enter Password: *******  
  
Access Granted. Logging onto Bennett Files. Please wait.  
  
Opening Files.  
  
Enter Password: **********  
  
Access Granted. Bennett Files open.  
  
  
  
Journal Entry #1  
  
Yes, yes. I'm an idiot for trying to keep a journal after all these years of trying and failing to. But still. Who knows how much longer I'll be around? Might as well accomplish something that I want to before I die. How stupid does that sound? Oh well, I'm certainly not the world's most skilled writer, so does it really matter?   
  
Anyway, my new journal, I suppose I should start out by introducing myself. This feels rather ridiculous, noting that no one is ever going to read this, but just the same, I'll do it. Might as well leave some sort of biography behind. At the very least, I may justify my position. If that is at all possible. Still, I might manage to straighten some things out as far as the Team and my involvement goes...  
  
My name is Manae Bennett. I am fifteen years old. And I am a Rocket. Yes, you heard me right. A Rocket. Better known as a member of Team Rocket, the infamous pokemon-stealing gang. But we're a helluva lot more than that. Don't believe me? Wait. I can guess. You think you've heard of the Team before, right? Yeah? Right. Now, let me guess something else. You learned of the Team from two jackasses in full uniform. C'mon, don't deny it. It's true. Hell yeah. You see, those two jackasses in full uniform happen to be Jessie and James. The most incompetent fools to ever walk the face of the earth.   
  
Okay, okay! Stop right there a second. I had better explain things more slowly, before I start chucking insults at the two morons. First, we'll start with the basics.   
  
The Boss is really a great guy. He started Team Rocket, as you can probably guess by just the title. Yeah, he's great. Really ambitious. His dream is to own every species of pokemon. Every one. Who couldn't admire a goal like that? Wow.   
  
So basically, he started the Team up from a tiny little gang. Of only the most experienced thieves, con-artists and fighters. The idea here was, no way he was going to manage to catch 100-200+ pokemon in his lifetime. I mean, get real. It just ain't gonna happen. But if there were a whole bunch of really well trained folks running around gathering rare pokemon for him... well, the job really shouldn't be too hard. And so the Boss set things up. He'd partner with these guys, give them a place to stay, all the pokemon and money they managed to snag (minus a few choice things he himself might choose) and all they had to do was use their natural talents. Really, is this guy brilliant, or what?  
  
Eventually things grew. The Boss and his agents found even more worthy folks for the job and decided the more the merrier. But they couldn't ALL be on the same level, now could they? The more experienced got the higher ranking and the less experienced got the lower rankings. And before you know it, the Team of today was born. Ta-da.  
  
Truly beautiful, ne? Now, now, now... now what should I explain? Ah, I have just the thing. Recruitment. The topic most often screwed up by civilians.   
  
You do NOT walk into an office and say "Hi! My name is (Insert Name Here) and I'd like to sign up for Team Rocket!" Uhm, no. The Pokeforcers (Cops who use pokemon to fight crime, in case you didn't know, journal.) would be all over it in a matter of five seconds. Yes, the coppers might be stupid, but they're not totally out of it. I can't help but laugh when someone mentions "joining" Team Rocket. You do NOT join Team Rocket. You get recruited.  
  
This process, in itself, is fairly simple. Most of the time it simply involves a few scouts who are either out looking for a few new members, or someone who spots an awfully talented person who would make a great addition. In all cases, the subject is carefully watched for some time. We can't just be picking up incompetent losers left and right just because they got lucky once and managed to pull off a decent heist, now can we?  
  
Eh, now here's the thing you've probably been wondering about. How did those fools Jessie and James mange to get in? That's anybody's guess. What I'd say though, is that somebody slipped and let them in. Of course, heads probably rolled because of it, but the two were most likely kept around for what little amusement they provide. Besides this, they're also quite good at doing a little free false advertising. If the entire world thinks Team Rocket is a gang of bumbling idiots who run around in full uniform at all times, don't you think they would leave their guard down a little? Ha, it's almost a shame that no one knows what all we do. You can always tell when a good Rocket has pulled off a job when you don't hear a word about it. Privacy is a very important thing for us, which is the exact reason we're (usually) so careful in recruitment's. And, our privacy leads onto yet the next subject. Leaving the Team.  
  
No one EVER leaves Team Rocket alive. An overdramatization? You wish. A bit on the severe side? Hell, yeah.   
  
The Boss isn't stupid. Think about it. Would you really want members of your gang having a sudden change of heart, leaving, and skipping away to tell the nearest cop all they know about the group? I don't THINK so. Now granted, unless it was a high-ranking member of the Team, there just wouldn't be much to tell. But still. It's the entire principle of the thing. So, someone gets the feeling that ol' Freddie over there seems to be acting a little suspicious, leaning towards traitorous, a few of us are sent to... take care of the problem.  
  
Also, if someone seems to be slacking off, enjoying the comforts of HQ just a little too much without pulling their own weight, they get... warned. Anywhere from a bloody nose and a few bruises to a nice long visit to the infirmary. And if they survive the warning, they tend to learn their lesson and get with it. 'Cuz if they don't... well, they're forced to leave. And since everybody knows that no one ever leaves the Team alive... they get he picture pretty fast. Most of the smarter folks just learn from what the idiots do anyway, so it tends not to be real common for the situation to get past the warning stage.  
  
I might also note that Jessie and James are a big exception in this area, too. Like I mentioned before, they're mainly kept around for amusement, though it's perfectly clear that they mess up one too many times and the Boss'll find a new source of entertainment. In my own opinion, they're dangerously close to being delt with by the rest of the Team whether the Boss gives the word or not. But everyone's way too afraid to try anything. The Boss's wrath is something NOT to be taken lightly. I will say this, though. You can bet I'll be right up there at the head of the line when the day comes that the Boss gets tired of them.   
  
Here might be a good place to add that death is also something quite common for us. It's not uncommon for unchecked fights to break out; quickly pulling in everyone nearby until it's a killing frenzy. There are your unsaid rules about this all, but they are, as mentioned, unsaid, and must be learned on your own. You have to be very careful. If you hang back, shy and quiet at all times; you'll quickly get singled out and beaten to a pulp simply to up someone else's reputation. At the same time, if you mess with the wrong people or fight too much and make enemies, then you had better watch your back or you'll get ganged. In the group, there do tend to be smaller gangs that form, usually spanning certain age groups. And now, since we're on the subject of ages, I'll get into this quickly. Rockets tend to be within and around the ages of 18-25 or so. Yes, if you still remember my age, you'll notice that I'm rather young. I'll get into my own story later, as it's complicated and I'm only doing basics right now. Now, as I was saying, Rockets tend to be about 18-25. There are younger, and there are older, as I will explain, though they are less common. In truth, the youngest "recruited" Rocket was 13 years of age. Anyone from about 13 to 18 is considered a Rookie and still in training. Training is yet another one of the details I won't get into at the moment, but it pretty much consists of an older Rocket partnering up with a Rookie to teach them the ropes. Aside from the Rookies are the Senior Rockets. These folks tend to be from mid or late twenties to early thirties. Yup, those are our old Rockets. They're the most cunning and dangerous of the Team and if you're a Rookie you either want to stay far away from them or pray with all you've got that they'll be the one to teach you.   
  
Living as a Rocket is no piece of cake, you see. Most of the time, a person is either in jail or dead by the time they hit their mid-twenties. That's why only a very few Rockets are in their thirties, and they are the most experienced, smarted, strongest and overall dangerous. It is a real and great honour (as well as the best way to get trained) to be a Rookie partnered with one.   
  
Ah, that's not too bad for a first entry, now is it? At least now, my journal, you know a little about me and my situation. Perhaps tomorrow I'll tell you a bit of my background. But now, I need to sleep. It's three in the morning and I need to get up early to help the Blue-Eyed Baka with a job.  
  
ID#5842312, Manae Bennett, signing off.  
  
  
  
Saving File...  
  
File saved. Exiting Bennett Files...  
  
Bennett Files closed. Logged off. 


End file.
